Eastern Orthodoxy

Quick Facts

Formed	c. 1st - 5th centuries C.E.
Origin	Roman-Byzantine Empire
Followers	200,000,000
Deity	God (Trinity)
Sacred Texts	Bible
Headquarters	Constantinople (Istanbul)

 

The Eastern Orthodox Church, a branch of Christianity also known as Eastern Orthodoxy, Orthodox Christianity, or the Orthodox Church, identifies its roots in the early Church, particularly as it developed within the Greek-speaking eastern branch of the Roman Empire. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the first seven Ecumenical Councils (which were held between 325 and 787 C.E.), and regards itself as the True Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized with an episcopal structure including the Four Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem (the Patriarch of Constantinople is the first of equals) and consecrated bishops (whose lineage is believed to be traced back to Jesus' apostles). Their worship is highly liturgical and extremely iconographic, both of which are central to the Church's life, history, and practice. Their icons, which include depictions of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, biblical scenes, or saints, are believed to create a sense of the presence of God. Eastern Orthodoxy is strongly doctrinal and places great authority in the Bible, the Creeds (Apostles' and Nicene), and the seven ecumenical councils. Like all other Christians, Orthodoxy is Trinitarian, believing that God exists in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Quick Fact Details:

• Formed: The exact date of the beginning of the Eastern Orthodox Church is indeterminable. While the belief system recognized as Christianity is in place by the first century, institutional structures developed over time. Nor is it possible to distinguish Orthodoxy as a separate tradition until it can be differentiated from other Christian traditions (most notably, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism). Scholars recognize a variety of significant institutional, theological, and cultural markers in the development of Orthodoxy:
  • 325—Council of Nicea. The first post-apostolic ecumenical council of the Christian community at which Church leaders formed a creedal statement of belief recognized universally.
  • 380—Edict of Thessalonica. The Emperor Theodosius I mandates "catholic" (universal, in contrast to the heresies of the time) Christianity to be the legal religion of the Empire.
  • 381—First Council of Constantinople. This council amended and ratified the Nicene Creed, resulting in the version used by Christian churches around the world. 
  • 451—The Council of Chalcedon. The first division within Christianity triggered by the split between those who adhered to the conclusions of the Council and those who did not (referred to as Oriental Orthodox).
  • 787—The Second Council of Nicea, often called "The Triumph of Orthodoxy." After many decades of iconoclasm (the rejection and destruction of icons), this council ratified the veneration and use of icons in worship and in private devotion—a uniquely Orthodox practice.
  • 1054—The Great Schism. Though the Eastern and Western branches of the Church had long been divided over theological, cultural, linguistic, and ecclesiological disputes, the separation was formalized in 1054, thus creating the first large-scale division within Christendom.
• Sacred Texts: Eastern Orthodoxy uses the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, which includes the deuterocanonical books that Protestants rejected. Their New Testaments are identical to those of all Christians.
• Headquarters: The nature of the Eastern Orthodox Church is conciliar rather than monarchical. That is, the patriarchs all hold equal authority in the Church and there is no centralized headquarters from which jurisdiction is maintained. Because the Ecumenical Patriarch—believed to be the first in honor among Orthodox patriarchs—is the Patriarch of Constantinople, Istanbul may be considered the spiritual center of the Orthodox communities.

Confucianism

Quick Facts

Formed	c. 500 B.C.E.
Origin	China
Followers	5,000,000
Deity	None / various gods and ancestors
Sacred Texts	Analects (Lunyu), the Five Classics (Wujing), the Four Books (Sishu)
Headquarters	None

Some say Confucianism is not a religion, since there are no Confucian deities and no teachings about the afterlife. Confucius himself was a staunch supporter of ritual, however, and for many centuries there were state rituals associated with Confucianism. Most importantly, the Confucian tradition was instrumental in shaping Chinese social relationships and moral thought. Thus even without deities and a vision of salvation, Confucianism plays much the same role as religion does in other cultural contexts. The founder of Confucianism was Kong Qiu (K'ung Ch'iu), who was born around 552 B.C.E. in the small state of Lu and died in 479 B.C.E. The Latinized name Confucius, based on the honorific title Kong Fuzi (K'ung Fu-tzu), was created by 16th-century Jesuit missionaries in China. Confucius was a teacher to sons of the nobility at a time when formal education was just beginning in China. He traveled from region to region with a small group of disciples, a number of whom would become important government officials. Confucius was not particularly famous during his lifetime, and even considered himself to be a failure. He longed to be the advisor to a powerful ruler, and he believed that such a ruler, with the right advice, could bring about an ideal world. Confucius said heaven and the afterlife were beyond human capacity to understand, and one should therefore concentrate instead on doing the right thing in this life. The earliest records from his students indicate that he did not provide many moral precepts; rather he taught an attitude toward one's fellow humans of respect, particularly respect for one's parents, teachers, and elders. He also encouraged his students to learn from everyone they encountered and to honor others' cultural norms. Later, his teachings would be translated by authoritarian political philosophers into strict guidelines, and for much of Chinese history Confucianism would be associated with an immutable hierarchy of authority and unquestioning obedience.

Christianity

Quick Facts
Formed    33 CE
Origin    Palestine
Followers    2,100,000,000
Deity    God (Trinity)
Sacred Texts    Bible
Headquarters    None

Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It is founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow him are called "Christians." Christianity has many different branches and forms with accompanying variety in beliefs and practices. The three major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, with numerous subcategories within each of these branches. Until the latter part of the 20th century, most adherents of Christianity were in the West, though it has spread to every continent and is now the largest religion in the world. Traditional Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is one being and exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine and human Messiah sent to the save the world. Christianity is also noted for its emphasis on faith in Christ as the primary component of religion. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible, including both the Hebrew scriptures (also known as the Old Testament) and the New Testament. Central to Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship, fellowship, and study, and engagement with the world through evangelism and social action.



Quick Fact Details:

    Formed: This is the traditional date for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some scholars date the rise of Christianity as a religious belief system later in the first century under the leadership of the apostles.

Budhism

Quick Facts
Formed    c. 5th century B.C.E.
Origin    India
Followers    350,000,000
Deity    None / pantheon of deities
Sacred Texts    Pali Tipitika, Mahayana, Vajrayana Canons
Headquarters    None

Most historians agree that Buddhism originated in northern India in the 5th century B.C.E. The tradition traces its origin to Siddhartha Gautama (or Gotama), who is typically referred to as the Buddha (literally the "Awakened" or "Enlightened One"). Siddhartha observed the suffering in the world and set out to find an antidote. Through meditation and analysis, he attained an enlightened state of being that marked the end of attachments (and therefore suffering), and ultimately, upon his death, release from the cycle of rebirth (samsara). The Buddha's teachings are often summarized in the Four Noble Truths, which form the basis of the first sermon he delivered after attaining enlightenment, and the Eightfold Path, which provides a basic guide for how to live in the world. Over the course of its 2500-year history, Buddhism has experienced many schisms and modifications; there are currently three major branches of the tradition — the Theravada ("Doctrine of the Elders"), the Mahayana ("Great Vehicle), and the Vajrayana ("Diamond Vehicle," often simply called "Tibetan Buddhism"), although there are many sects and groups within each of these branches. The Buddhist canon consists of a vast corpus of texts that cover philosophical, devotional, and monastic matters, and each of the major divisions of Buddhism has its own distinct version of what it considers to be canonical scriptures. Buddhism has spread from its roots in India to virtually every corner of the world, and in each place it has spread it has adopted and adapted local practices and beliefs. Although Buddhism is a distinct religious tradition, many people in the contemporary West have adopted philosophical and practical aspects of Buddhism and incorporated them into their religious and social practices; thus there are people who identify themselves "Buddhist Christians," "Buddhist Jews," and "Buddhist Atheists."



Quick Fact Details:

    Formed: The exact dates of the Buddha's birth and death are disputed.
    Deity: Certain branches of the larger Buddhist tradition (including the Mahayana) include a variety of gods and goddesses; others, especially the Theravada, reject belief in an omnipotent deity.

Baha'i

Quick Facts
Formed    1863 CE
Origin    Iran (Persia)
Followers    5,000,000
Deity    God (monotheistic)
Sacred Texts    The collected writings of Baha'u'llah, especially his Kitab-i-Aqdas
Headquarters    Haifa and 'Akka (Acco), Israel

The Baha'i faith was founded in the mid-19th century C.E. in Iran. In 1844 Siyyid ‘Ali Mohammad, a Shiite Muslim, proclaimed that he was "the Bab," "the Gate," a special sort of interpreter of the Quran with special religious insight and prophetic abilities; he was the "Hidden Imam." The Bab's prophetic message spread in Iran, which angered both the government and the Shiite leadership. He was arrested and then executed. One of the Bab's disciples, Mirza Hoseyn ‘Ali Nuri, known as Baha'u'llah, spread the Bab's teachings; these teachings eventually evolved into the Baha'i faith, and it is Baha'u'llah who is most typically known as the founder of the tradition. Baha'i propounds that God is utterly transcendent and ultimately unknowable to humanity. God's manifestation is understood in Baha'i to come not just through the Bab and Baha'u'llah, but also through the world's religious prophets, including Abraham, Moses, the Buddha, Krishna, and Muhammad. Baha'i sacred literature includes the writings and oral history of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. The Baha'i do not have any clergy; all spiritual authority is held by local and national councils called "Spiritual Assemblies." Baha'i is open to all who accept the teachings of Baha'u'llah. Baha'i religious practices and rituals include daily prayer and devotions. Baha'i followers are expected to fast for nineteen days a year and participate in the Nineteen Day Feast. Essential Baha'i theological tenets include the unity of humanity and the unity of all religions with the ultimate goal of creating a unified humanity without racial, ethnic, class, or religious prejudice. Baha'i has spread to virtually every country in the world, and Baha'i temples can be found on every continent except Antartica.